Viscous material filling device

ABSTRACT

A valved filling head for filling a container with a viscous flowable product includes means for introducing a controlled blast of fluid through the head toward the fill opening or spout of the container at the end of the fill cycle. The fluid stream is directed against accumulated viscous material in the fill opening, in order to push the viscous material down into the container away from the spout and to prevent splattering of the material onto the container and over filling apparatus when the head and spout are separated and the opening is capped.

United States Patent Scholle Dec. 16, 1975 VISCOUS MATERIAL FILLINGDEVICE Primarv Examiner-Houston S. Bell, Jr. [75] Inventor. William R.Scholle, Compton, Calif. Attorney g or Firm Gary Juetmer, pigott & [73]Assignee: Scholle Corporation, Northlake, Ill. C ni [22] Filed. Feb. 20,1974 ABSTRACT [21] Appl' 444l27 A valved filling head for filling acontainer with a viscous flowable product includes means for introducing[52 us. Cl. 141/1; 141/90; 141/392 9 eentrelled blasteffluid through thehead toward the 51 1111. 01. B65B 3/04; B67C 3/02 fill opening or Spout9f the container at the end of the [58] Field of Search 141/90, 258262,fill y The fluid Stream is directed against accumu- 4 /392 1 4 7 4glated viscous material in the fill opening, in order to push the viscousmaterial down into the container [56] References Ci away from the spoutand to prevent splattering of the UNITED STATES PATENTS material ontothe container and over filling apparatus when the head and spout areseparated and the open- 3,498,508 3/1970 Francisoud 141/90 g is pp3,516,455 6/1970 Carter l4l/9O 3,522,824 8/1970 Allen et al. 141/90 5Claims, 1 Drawing Figure U.S. Patent Dec. 16, 1975 VISCOUS MATERIALFILLING DEVICE BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION U.S. Pat. No. 3,517,688illustrates a filling valve or head which has been successfully employedfor filling a container with liquid. The patented device includes a headwith a reciprocating piston which opens and closes a liquid shut-offvalve therein, and the device is therefore adapted to fill a pluralityof containers in sequence. The device also includes a sanitary chamberwhich isolates the working piston from the flow of liquid through thevalve, thereby assuring sanitary operation.

Devices of the foregoing nature, while entirely suitable for liquids,are not satisfactory for filling containers with viscous materials, suchas tomato paste or similar products. After the container has been filledand the valve closed, the container and fill head are separated, whichcauses residual material in the head and the neck or spout of thecontainer to stretch or cone up above the container opening or spout.The residual cone of viscous material interferes with subsequent cappingof the container, and causes the viscous material to splatter onto thecontainer and the filling apparatus. In an asceptic filling operation,such spattering necessitates shutting down, cleansing and resterilizingof the contaminated apparatus before the filling operation can becontinued.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention provides means within thefilling head for introducing a stream of fluid against the residualviscous material in the head and the container spout or opening at theend of the fill cycle, after the material valve has been closed. Thefluid blast need 'only be momentary, of sufficient force and duration todrive residual viscous material out of the head and down into thecontainer before the filling device and container are separated.Consequently, the viscous material is removed and separated from thehead so that when the head is removed from the spout there is no coningof the viscous material up out of the spout, and thus no splattering orother of the problems encountered with prior art devices.

In addition, this fluid blast can be utilized to introduce an inertfluid or gas, such as nitrogen, into the container spout to insuresterility and/or to minimize oxidation and discoloration of the packagedproduct.

THE DRAWING The single FIGURE is a vertical sectional view of a fillinghead which incorporates the features of the present invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT The filling head comprises avertically mounted cylindrical casing 10 having an axial material outlettube 12 at the lower end and a material inlet 14 therein at one sidespaced above the outlet. As described in Pat. No. 3,517,688, the casing10 is comprised of detachably interconnected separable componentsfacilitating disassembly and cleansing of the head. The outlet tube 12is adapted to fit into the open neck or spout 16 of a container 18during the filling operation, with the neck abutting a collar 17 on theoutlet tube. The inlet 14 is connected to a pressurized source ofviscous material,

such as tomato paste, to be introduced into the container 18.

A rod 20 is axially slidably mounted within the casing 10, the upperportion of the rod extending above the casing through a ring seal 22therein. The lower end of the rod 20 has a valve head 24 provided with aring seal 26, the head and its seal being adapted to be moved downwardinto and to seal against and close the outlet tube 12.

Means are provided for reciprocating the rod 20 axially of the casing10, comprising an enlarged annular chamber 28 between the rod and thecasing near the top thereof, defined by a relatively enlarged section 30of the casing. An annular piston 32 is provided on the rod 20 within thechamber 28 and has a ring seal 34 in the circumference thereof whichengages the interior wall of the section 30 and divides the chamber 28into upper and lower portions. Ring seals 36 are provided at the bottomof the section 30 to seal the lower chamber, as the seal 22 seals theupper chamber.

A pair of gas conduits 38 and 40 are provided in communication with thechamber 28 respectively above and below the piston 32 in order toprovide the necessary motive power for reciprocating the piston 32 andthe rod 20 in the casing. The conduits may be connected to suitablevalve means, such as V,, coupled to a source S of fluid under pressure.The valve means V may be a four-way valve means of known construction,operated in a definite sequence to alternately pressurize and exhaustthe spaces above and below the piston 32, whereby the rod 20 isreciprocated and the associated valve head 24 is brought into and out ofsealing engagement with the outlet tube 12.

From the foregoing, it may be seen that when differential pressure isapplied in the chamber 28 above the piston 32, the rod 20 is drivendownward and the head enters and entirely blocks the outlet tube 12,thereby blocking or closing off the flow of material through the outlet.Upon reversal of the pressure differential, the rod 20 is raised out ofthe outlet, thereby allowing the free flow of material through theoutlet and into the spout 16 of the container 18.

If the filling device or valve is to be used in a sanitary application,a sanitary seal is preferably provided between the operational area ofthe working piston 32 and the valve head 24, the latter being incontinuous intimate contact with the material being filled into thecontainers. For thispurpose, a section of reduced diameter 42 may beprovided on the rod 20 between the valve head 24 and the seals 36 toprovide a second annular chamber 44. Respective inlet and outlet pipes46 and 48 are connected through the casing 10 to this chamber, the inletpipe being connected to a source, such as source S of a sanitary fluid,such as an inert gas, nitrogen or steam. The fluid is preferablycirculated through the chamber 44 under positive pressure, which ismaintained because of the upper seal 36 and a second ring seal 50located on the rod between the head 24 and the section 42 of reduceddiameter.

An axial bore 52 extends from one end of the rod 20 to the other, saidbore opening into a downwardly facing conical recess 54 in the valvehead 24. The upper end of the bore 52 is connected to a source, such asS of sanitary fluid, air, sterile or inert gas, or the like, which isfed, under pressure, through a suitable valve V into the bore. The valveV is operable in timed relationship with the operation of the rod 20, soas to provide a momentary or premeasured blast of fluid 3 through thebore 52 and out of the opening 54 shortly after the valve head 24 entersinto and closes the outlet tube 12.

As shown in the drawing, the filling apparatus is in its fillingposition wherein the valve head 24 is retracted upward into the casing10, thereby allowing flow of viscous or semi-solid material from theinlet 14 directly through the outlet tube 12 into a container. Thecontainer 18 will normally be completely filled, such that the materialtherein rises up to the level of the neck. The amount of material whichis introduced into the container may be determined by any well knownmethods, such as weight sensing means beneath the container or by timingthe fill period.

As the desired volume in the container is being at tained, the portionof the chamber 28 above the piston 32 is pressurized, and the piston androd 20 are driven downward until the valve head 24 closes the outlettube, and the flow of material is interrupted.

In the case of viscous materials, after the valve head 24 is closed, acontinuous column of material extends from the base of the valve headinto the container neck 16. If the outlet tube 12 and container 18 wereseparated at this stage, the viscous material would be drawn up out ofthe neck or spout 16 in the shape of a cone.

The present invention prevents this so-called coning by passing a streamof fluid through the head 24. Specifically, after the valve head 24 isin its closed position, valve V is opened momentarily or for apredetermined period of time so that a momentary or premeasured quantityof pressurized fluid is driven into the recess 54, which causes residualmaterial in the outlet tube 12 to be pushed down into the neck of thecontainer. In the case of food products, the fluid employed may be air,but is preferably a sterile inert gas, nitrogen or steam.

Thereafter, the filled container 18 may be separated from the outlet 12,without incurring any coning of the product. An empty container may thenbe substituted for the filled container, whereafter the lower portion ofthe chamber 28 is pressurized through conduit 40, causing unseating andraising of the valve head to an open position, whereby the filling cycleis repeated.

I claim:

l. A method for filling a container with a viscous material, comprisingthe steps of bringing the neck of a container into communication with aviscous material outlet, delivering viscous material through said outletinto the container until the level of material reaches the neckv of thecontainer and the viscous material extends between said outlet and thecontainer, stopping delivery of viscous material through said outlet,then, with the neck of the container still in communication with theoutlet, directing a stream of cleansing fluid under pressure throughsaid outlet and into the neck of the container for discharging all ofthe viscous material in said outletand between said outlet and thecontainer into the container, and then removing the container from saidoutlet, whereupon the viscous material will not cone up in the containerneck and said outlet will remain clean.

rial, comprising a body having a viscous material inlet,

a viscous material outlet connected to said inlet and adapted forreception of the neck of a container for supplying viscous material tothe container, a valve member movably mounted in said body for movementinto and out of closing engagement within said outlet for selectivelyestablishing and disestablishing communication between said materialinlet and said material outlet, a fluid passageway through said valvemember having an outlet directed into said material outlet, and meansoperative upon movement of said valve member into closing engagementwithin said material outlet for supplying a momentary or premeasuredblast of pressurized fluid through said passageway and said mate rialoutlet and into the neck of the container for discharging all of theviscous material from said material outlet into said container and forpreventing coning of the viscous material in the neck of the containerupon removal of the neck from said material outlet.

3. A device for filling a container with a viscous material, comprisinga material outlet adapted to communicate with the inlet of a container,a chamber in communication with said outlet, means for supplying viscousmaterial under pressure to said chamber for forcing said materialthrough said outlet and into the container, a generally tubular valverod mounted for reciprocation in said chamber axially of said outlet andcarrying a tubular valve movable into and out of said outlet, said valvehaving an external surface in closed blocking engagement with saidoutlet when said valve is in said outlet, means for reciprocating saidrod for moving said valve axially into and out of closed position insaid outlet, means for supplying fluid under pressure to the interior ofsaid tubular rod and valve, and means operative upon movement of saidvalve into closed position for delivering a momentary or pre-measuredsupply of said fluid through said rod, said valve and said outlet intothe container for discharging residual viscous material from said outletinto the container and for preventing coning of the viscous material inthe container when the container is removed from said outlet.

4. The device of claim 3 wherein said means for reciprocating said rodcomprises a second chamber spaced from the first-named chamber andsurrounding a portion of said rod remote from said valve, a piston onsaid rod within said second chamber, and means for alternately supplyingpressurized fluid to said second chamber on the opposite sides of saidpiston.

5. A device for filling containers with a material, comprising a bodyhaving a material inlet, a material outlet connected to said inlet avalve member movably mounted in said body for movement into and out ofclosing engagement within said outlet for selectively establishing anddisestablishing communication between said inlet and said outlet, afluid passageway through said valve member having an outlet directedinto said material outlet, and means for selectively supplyingpressurized fluid through said passageway and said material outlet.

1. A method for filling a container with a viscous material, comprisingthe steps of bringing the neck of a container into communication with aviscous material outlet, delivering viscous material through said outletinto the container until the level of material reaches the neck of thecontainer and the viscous material extends between said outlet and thecontainer, stopping delivery of viscous material through said outlet,then, with the neck of the container still in communication with theoutlet, directing a stream of cleansing fluid under pressure throughsaid outlet and into the neck of the container for discharging all ofthe viscous material in said outlet and between said outlet and thecontainer into the container, and then removing the container from saidoutlet, whereupon the viscous material will not cone up in the containerneck and said outlet will remain clean.
 2. A device for fillingcontainers with a viscous material, comprising a body having a viscousmaterial inlet, a viscous material outlet connected to said inlet andadapted for reception of the neck of a container for supplying viscousmaterial to the container, a valve member movably mounted in said bodyfor movement into and out of closing engagement within said outlet forselectively establishing and disestablishing communication between saidmaterial inlet and said material outlet, a fluid passageway through saidvalve member having an outlet directed into said material outlet, andmeans operative upon movement of said valve member into closingengagement within said material outlet for supplying a momentary orpremeasured blast of pressurized fluid through said passageway and saidmaterial outlet and into the neck of the container for discharging allof the viscous material from said material outlet into said containerand for preventing coning of the viscous material in the neck of thecontainer upon removal of the neck from said material outlet.
 3. Adevice for Filling a container with a viscous material, comprising amaterial outlet adapted to communicate with the inlet of a container, achamber in communication with said outlet, means for supplying viscousmaterial under pressure to said chamber for forcing said materialthrough said outlet and into the container, a generally tubular valverod mounted for reciprocation in said chamber axially of said outlet andcarrying a tubular valve movable into and out of said outlet, said valvehaving an external surface in closed blocking engagement with saidoutlet when said valve is in said outlet, means for reciprocating saidrod for moving said valve axially into and out of closed position insaid outlet, means for supplying fluid under pressure to the interior ofsaid tubular rod and valve, and means operative upon movement of saidvalve into closed position for delivering a momentary or pre-measuredsupply of said fluid through said rod, said valve and said outlet intothe container for discharging residual viscous material from said outletinto the container and for preventing coning of the viscous material inthe container when the container is removed from said outlet.
 4. Thedevice of claim 3 wherein said means for reciprocating said rodcomprises a second chamber spaced from the first-named chamber andsurrounding a portion of said rod remote from said valve, a piston onsaid rod within said second chamber, and means for alternately supplyingpressurized fluid to said second chamber on the opposite sides of saidpiston.
 5. A device for filling containers with a material, comprising abody having a material inlet, a material outlet connected to said inlet,a valve member movably mounted in said body for movement into and out ofclosing engagement within said outlet for selectively establishing anddisestablishing communication between said inlet and said outlet, afluid passageway through said valve member having an outlet directedinto said material outlet, and means for selectively supplyingpressurized fluid through said passageway and said material outlet.